A Scar Away From Falling Apart
by klutz101
Summary: A family emergency has Alex Karev racing back to Iowa. Izzie Stevens tags along as his support system. Mainly AlexIzzie friendship. Potential romance. Set just after Wishin' and Hopin'.
1. Chapter 1

AlexIzzie--- Scar Away From Falling Apart

Overall Summary; A family emergency has Alex Karev racing back to Iowa. Izzie Stevens tags along as his support system. Mainly AlexIzzie friendship. Potential romance.

NOTE: I know Alex grew up in Iowa, but we've never been given a specific city so I picked one at random.

Title from Fall Out Boy's "The (After) Life of the Party"

Chapter Summary; Izzie's had a rough night, so Alex invites her to accompany him to the bar. Later, Dr. Karev learns of terrible news.

* * *

The chart slips out of her hands and a curse word slips from her lips. She's had a tough day, a rough one. It's one of those days when she wishes she had never signed onto this stupid internship, and continued her carefree life as a model. It's also one of those days when she needs a straight shot of tequila.

She picks up the damn chart and places it on the counter of the nurses' station. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She feels a body slide up next to her and she knows who it is. It's the only arrogant, cocky intern she knows. _Him_.

"On call tonight, Dr. Model?" he asks with a never fading smirk on his lips. Izzie wonders if it's a permanent expression; it has to be. It's the only explanation.

"No, as a matter of fact. I'm off in about five minutes." She sends him an evil smile of her own, but he seems only seduced by it.

"Is that so?" he asks rhetorically. "I happen to be off soon as well and, lucky for you, also free."

She raises an eyebrow at him. 'Alex Karev with no girl to screw tonight?' she thinks. 'Shocker.' "How is that exactly lucky for me?" she questions as she heads toward the intern locker room. She cannot wait to get out of her dreadful scrubs.

"Do I really need to answer that?" he questions back, giving her a wink as well. She rolls her eyes as she opens her locker. She really could not stand the man. "How about we go to Joe's?" he suggests. "I'll buy you a drink or something, we'll throw some darts, make-out a little…all that crap. What do you say?" He wiggles his eyebrows in hope, a smirk still painted on his lips.

Izzie stares at him in disbelief but considers the invitation. She could use a drink, albeit from Alex, but a drink nonetheless. She's been dying all day to have the sweet taste of alcohol hit her tongue and burn it's way down her throat. She needs something to help her cope with the horrible day she's been having.

He's still waiting for a reply, watching her with those 'dirty' eyes. She blushes the slightest bit of crimson, but it soon disappears. "Fine," she mumbles in reply. Izzie watches as his smirk grows into a full-fledged, genuine grin. She nervously smiles back at him, unsure of what she had just gotten herself into.

"It's a date then. I've got about fifteen minutes left, so see you in a half-hour?" He gives her an upward nod before walking out of the locker room without even waiting for an answer.

Izzie rolls her eyes at this, but also can't help but smile. As much as she hates to admit it, Alex _is_ a charming guy, not only just good-looking. She lifts her shirt over head and throws it into her locker. She laughs momentarily about the situation she's in as she slips on the revealing top she'd worn to work this morning. It had been the only clean shirt left in her closet so she had decided, 'What the hell?' and just worn it. Now that she thinks about it, it wasn't a bad decision. Not only is she going on a dreaded 'date' with Alex but also she'll look damn good.

Izzie finishes changing before closing her locker. She grabs her purse and heads over to the mirror. She touches up her makeup, adding a bit more lip-gloss than necessary. She realizes the error and dabs a bit of the excess gloss away. She fluffs her hair, letting her blonde curls fall around her shoulders. Finally, she adjusts the silky green top she's wearing. She pulls it down just a tad, making sure just the right amount of cleavage is showing. Izzie smiles satisfyingly at her reflection before walking out of the locker room.

She catches Alex's eye as she's walking out of Seattle Grace. He gives her an obvious once-over, nodding approvingly. She laughs, blushing just the teeniest bit. Alex gives her a wink along with a smile before turning back to the attending he was waiting to talk to.

Izzie heads across the street after she walks out of the hospital. She thanks God once again for having a bar so near to her workplace; it's just something that's necessary for a day like this.

She opens the door to the Emerald City Bar and as she does, she hears the familiar jingle of the bells. She smiles to herself, grabbing a seat at the bar. She positions herself on the barstool, setting her purse down on the counter. She gives the bartender Joe a sweet smile as she sees him walk towards her.

"The regular, Iz?" he asks, grabbing a wineglass from above the bar.

"Actually, no. I'm gonna need something a little stronger than wine." She gives him a sad smile, hearing a jingling in the background.

Joe gives her a sympathetic expression. "Bad day?" He reaches for a shot glass and sets it in front of her.

"_Worse_ than just a bad day," she states, her eyes fixated on the countertop of the bar. Alex then takes a seat beside Izzie, nudging her as he does so.

Izzie gives him a look, but just laughs about it a few seconds later. Joe sets another shot glass in front of Alex and grabs the tequila. He fills the glasses up before giving the couple a nod and walking off to wait on other customers.

Alex lifts his shot into the air in a toast like fashion and clears his throat. "To one hell of a day," he toasts. After a brief moment of hesitation, Izzie lifts her glass up and clinks it with Alex's. She downs the shot quickly, smiling as the liquid makes its way down her eager throat. "Another?" Alex asks.

"Only if you're buying," she comments. He nods and calls Joe over again, pointing at their empty shot glasses. Joe fills their glasses once again and eyes the two suspiciously. He walks away though without saying anything.

The two interns shoot back the drink with laughter and then fall into a comfortable silence. Alex stares intently at Izzie, but she doesn't seem to notice. She's already feeling a little buzzed and it feels damn good. She orders another shot to help keep it going.

"Up for a round of darts, doll face?" Alex suggests, standing up.

Izzie laughs as she gets up as well. "As a matter of fact, yes, Evil Spawn, I am up for a round of darts."

"Okay then." He grabs her hand, dragging her over to the dartboard. Izzie stumbles as he pulls her towards the bullseye. "Well, someone holds their liquor well," he comments sarcastically. She eyes him and he throws a smirk her way.

She scoffs. "You calling me an easy drunk?" She lets out a few giggles and starts to twirl her hair subconsciously.

"Not at all," he teases. He walks over to the wall and pulls the darts off the board. He glances at Izzie over his shoulder, catching her watching him. She blushes and focuses her attention elsewhere.

Alex laughs to himself as he makes his way back to where Izzie's standing. He hands her a handful of darts and she thanks him quietly. Silence overcomes the two, but only for a few minutes. Alex starts the game and soon they're shooting each other flirtatious smiles or grins every now and then. Alex teases Izzie every time her dart hits the wall instead of the board, which is frequent. She trash talks him back, saying he throws like a girl. He points out that she technically dissed herself too in the comment, and they both erupt in laughter.

After a while, they make their way over to a booth. Alex plops down on one side, resting his elbows on the table. To his surprise, Izzie takes a seat next to him instead of taking a seat opposite to him. Alex smiles to himself and when he looks up at his fellow coworker, he notices she's smiling as well. Their eyes are locked now, and each of their smiles drift away. Izzie thinks they're having some kind of moment, and for the first time, she isn't really scared of the thought of a new relationship. It had been about a year since Denny had died; maybe she was close to getting over him finally.

Alex places a hand on her cheek, but his face remains still inches away. He's afraid to make the first move; scared of the rejection he might face again. It's her call.

Izzie bites her lip in hesitation, but decides it's time. She closes the distance between her and Alex, pressing her lips against his softly. It's a sweet and innocent kiss, no tongue or wetness, and it's over before it really even began. But it's still nice.

Izzie dips her head, hiding her crimson cheeks. Alex is smiling as well, and lifts Izzie's head up again by her chin. Alex's genuine smile is contagious, Izzie concludes, since she's smiling again in a matter of milliseconds. He kisses her again, this time slipping his tongue into her mouth. She allows entrance, but only for a short amount of time. Alex is a little disappointed, but it doesn't show. His excitement to even be out with Izzie Stevens right now is dominant over the recessive sadness.

She's about to go in for another kiss when she hears Alex's cell phone go off. Izzie unwillingly just gives him a peck on the lips, and she tells him it's okay to answer the phone. She excuses herself to the ladies' room to give him at least some privacy.

Alex smiles at her appreciatively and grabs his cell phone from his pants pocket. "Damnit," he curses to his phone. "Of all the hours you have to go off…" he rambles to himself, but stops dead in his tracks when he sees the caller ID.

Tess Karev.

There is only reason his sister would ever make contact with him again. He hurriedly opens his phone and places it close to his ear. "What happened?" he asks, his voice full of concern.

"Mom." His sister's voice is emotionless. "She's dead." Alex now hears her voice start to crack, as if she's trying not to cry. "She was in a car accident. Some ass hit her at an intersection." He hears his younger, twenty-five-year-old sister choke back tears. "She died at the scene."

Alex was speechless. How could his mother be dead? He had last spoken to her on Monday, five days ago. He only now wishes he actually made more of an effort to talk to his family. "Do you know the cause? Of death, I mean." It was the only thing that would come out of his mouth.

"The cause of death? You want to know what the damn cause of death is? It was the freaking car accident, Alex! The impact killed her!" He knew his sister was getting frustrated with him, but he didn't know what to do. He wasn't usually the one who got news of death; he was the one who usually told the news to others. He didn't like being on the receiving end.

"Tess, what do you want me to do?" His voice doesn't show it, but he's scared.

"Come home." She hangs us less than a second after the words leave her mouth.

Alex moves the phone away from his ear, but stares at it. By this time, Izzie returns. Right away she can tell that something happened. Her eyes are filled with worry. "Alex? What's wrong?" She takes her seat back next to him and places her hand on his shoulder. She rubs it comfortingly. "Alex?"

He looks in her direction. He doesn't want to tell her; he doesn't want to ruin this night, but what else can he do? Alex clears his throat and catches Izzie's brown eyes. "My, uh…my mom just died."

Before anything else is said, her arms are wrapped around him and one hand is stroking the back of his neck. "I'm so sorry," she mumbles quietly into his ear.

But it's not her fault and they both know this.

* * *

TBC…

reviews are encouraged. flames are not. :)


	2. Chapter 2

AlexIzzie--- A Scar Away From Falling Apart

Overall Summary; A family emergency has Alex Karev racing back to Iowa. Izzie Stevens tags along as his support system. Mainly AlexIzzie friendship. Potential romance.

NOTE: I know Alex grew up in Iowa, but we've never been given a specific city so I picked one at random.

Title from Fall Out Boy's "The (After) Life of the Party"

Chapter Summary; Dr. Karev breaks down after the news of his mother's death, leaving Izzie to attempt to pick up the pieces. AlexIzzie. AlexMeredithIzzie friendship.

* * *

Izzie pours two mugs of coffee. She's in the kitchen of the house she and Meredith share. Alex is sitting at the kitchen table, not moving an inch. She's extremely worried about him. He hasn't said anything since they left the bar. When she had asked him if he wanted to leave all he did was nod. Perhaps he's in shock, Izzie thinks.

She walks over to him and places the mug in front of him. "You should drink something," she tells him.

Alex looks down at the table and nods. He knows she's right, but he thinks if he eats or drinks something he'll vomit. On any other night, the coffee would be welcoming, but tonight it isn't. The smell alone makes him want to gag. He plays with his hands under the table and rocks back and forth slowly. Alex feels tears coming up and he chokes them back.

Izzie notices Alex starting to break down and hastily rushes to his side. When she had found out about his mother, she had immediately sobered up. Even though she could feel a headache coming on, she comforts Alex. She embraces him once again and whispers soothing words into his ear. Tears escape from his eyes now and they're drenching her top. But she doesn't care; she just wants to be there for Alex. Izzie strokes the back of his head and tries to whisper words of comfort. "It's okay," she attempts, but knows it means nothing. They stay like this for what seems like hours before Alex finally pulls away.

He wipes at his eyes and attempts to clear his throat. "You should go get some sleep. You, uh, have work tomorrow," he stands up which makes Izzie jump slightly, "_We_. We have work tomorrow," he corrects himself. Alex starts to walk towards the front door, but Izzie grabs his elbow.

"You're seriously not thinking of going into work tomorrow are you? I mean, your mom just died. The Chief would understand. So would Bailey," she tells him.

Alex just shrugs and stares at her hand that is gripped on his elbow.

"Alex, stay here tonight. You're in no condition to drive home. Your car's not even here. I'll set up the couch for you, okay?" Izzie doesn't wait for a response. She unleashes her grip on Alex's arm and rushes over to a near-by closet. She grabs a pillow from the shelf and also a blanket. With the items in her hands, she closes the closet door and turns around. Izzie stares at the front door with a puzzling expression on her face as she notices it wide open. Alex bailed. She drops the pillow and the blanket on the floor and runs to the door. She walks out onto the porch, but it's too dark to see anything. She keeps looking anyway. "Alex?" she calls out again and again. She hears nothing in response.

Izzie panics.

It's five hours later and Izzie's darting into Seattle Grace, praying someone's seen or head from Alex. The first person she sees is Meredith. She walks up to her fellow intern. "Hey, Mer…have you seen Alex this morning by any chance?"

Meredith has a smirk on her face, one almost similar to Alex's. "No, but speaking of him, guess who I heard he left Joe's with?" Meredith leans closer to Izzie and whispers, "Are you two back together or something now?"

Meredith is breaking Izzie's train of thought. "I—I don't know," she stutters before walking off. She doesn't have time to gossip with her friend, she has to find Alex. She needs to. Izzie heads toward the locker room. She barely notices Meredith running after her.

"Iz, what's going on?" she asks as she follows Izzie, who's pacing up and down the aisles in the locker room.

"Nothing…I just, I just need to find Alex." Izzie stops pacing.

"Why?" Meredith asks as she opens her own locker and begins to change into her scrubs.

"Alex and I _did_ leave the bar together, but not for romantic reasons. His moth—someone close to him died. He needed comfort so I took him back to the house. I tried to set up the couch for him to spend the night, but when I turned around he was gone. I don't know where he went. And I'm just…I'm just really worried, Mer." Izzie's eyes are fixated on the ground and she tries to take a deep breath.

Meredith gives her a sympathetic look. "Maybe he went back to his place?" she suggests. "Perhaps he didn't want to get you in the middle of it all. He cares about you like that, you know."

Izzie just shrugs and runs her hand through her blonde locks. "I know. I just wish he hadn't run out on me. I've been worried sick for hours. I want to know he's okay." Izzie plops down onto the bench with a frustrated sigh.

Meredith frowns and takes a seat next to her. "I'm sure he's okay. But it's Alex, you know? He doesn't like to talk about what's going on with him inside; he likes to deal with it by himself. Maybe he just needs some space for a bit."

"Maybe," Izzie agrees. She rests her head against Meredith's shoulder and mumbles a quiet, "Thank you."

Meredith just smiles sadly.

* * *

Alex sets the cigarette he had been smoking into the ashtray and leaves it there. He lets out a puff of air, forcing himself to not cough. He tells himself he's not a smoker usually, he only does it when he's stressed out. And ever since he found out his mother is dead, he's been a little stressed out.

He sees a blonde out of the corner of his eye from his seat in the diner. She reminds him of Izzie and he chastises himself mentally once again for walking out on Izzie that very morning. He knows he shouldn't have, that she would have taken care of him, but he left anyway. Maybe he was scared. After all, he and Izzie's relationship was progressing again, and if she saw him like this he was afraid she'd run off. He was scared that his mother's death would remind Izzie of Denny's and she would again claim that she wasn't ready for a relationship.

Alex doesn't think he could handle that again. She has already rejected him so many times he can't keep track anymore. He couldn't live through another rejection.

He feels his cell phone vibrating in his pocket as he takes a sip of his coffee. He doesn't feel like talking to anyone, but answers anyway for an unknown reason.

"Hello?" he whispers. Alex doesn't really know why he's whispering. The diner he's in isn't even that crowded.

"Alex?" the person on the other line questions. "It's Meredith. Where are you?"

He's kind of surprised that Meredith is calling him. But then he remembers that her and Izzie are close, and Izzie probably told the brunette everything about what happened by now. The thought puts him in a bitter mood.

"Why the hell do you want to know?"

"I don't," she tells him bluntly. "Izzie does."

Hearing her name softens his attitude, but not by much. "Your point?"

"Just tell me where you are so she can come get you and so Izzie can stop bothering me. Please." He loves that Meredith is begging him to get Izzie to leave her alone. So much for the two of them being close.

"Fine. The diner on Anderson's. But I only want to talk to Izzie." He knows once Izzie gets here he'll break down again, and he doesn't want anyone else to witness that.

"Alright. She's on her way." He hears Meredith hang up her phone and he puts his own away. Alex takes another sip from coffee. He really wishes he hadn't left Izzie's place when he did all of a sudden; he really needs her right now.

Alex glances out the window at the clear blue sky before curling back into the corner of the booth.

* * *

"Are you positive he said Anderson Lane?" Izzie asks Meredith frantically over her cell phone. She's driving in her car, searching frantically for a stingy diner. "Because I've been up and down this road for the past ten minutes and I can't find the damn place." She's beginning to worry as she turns her car around once again, making her way back up Anderson Lane.

"I'm sure. He told me the diner on Anderson's. That's the only Anderson I know," Meredith confirms.

"God damnit," Izzie curses as she slams on her breaks.

"You okay?" Meredith asks over the phone.

"Yeah," Izzie whispers. Her concentration is settled on something else. "Just some moron tried to cut in front of me." She continues to stare at a blue sign in the shape of an arrow that reads 'Lucky's Diner". "Say, can I call you back?" Izzie asks but hangs up before even waiting for a reply. She pulls over to the curb quickly, and places her car in park. She rushes out of her vehicle and runs down the sidewalk toward the blue sign that had caught her eye in the first spot.

Izzie flings the door to the diner open and startles herself when she hears the slight jingle of the door. She quickly glances around and barely notices him seated in the corner of the restaurant. His back is towards her, so she doubts that he knows she's here.

Izzie walks up to the booth cautiously and takes a seat next to Alex. "Hey," she says softly, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Alex gives her a small, sad smile. "Hey," he mumbles. Her hand slides from his shoulder down to his hand. She squeezes his hand softly, which was clutching his cell phone.

"Are you okay?" she asks carefully, leaning her chin on his shoulder.

Alex nods. "I, um…I just booked a flight to head back home to Iowa. Tess said she needed me back home, so…" He trails off, clearing his throat.

"Well, that's good. You _should_ go home. You have to; your family probably really needs you right now." She's staring at the side of his face when she gets a sudden impulse. Izzie places her lips against Alex's cheek.

If Alex is taken aback by the sweet kiss to his cheek, he doesn't show it. He seems to be listening to his own impulses.

"Come with me," he says abruptly.

"What?"

"To Iowa. Come with me," Alex repeats.

* * *

reviews are encouraged. flames are not. :) 


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